What does Islam mean? “Voluntary submission to God”

I suppose if you snoped every sentence, you might find something wrong, however, I remember most of these stories from the news, and I've been really inconvenienced at airports around the world because of many of these. I've seen the photos of the dead children. Also, I've been to Israel where Muslims have more freedom and wealth than just about anywhere in the middle east.

The Shoe Bomber was a Muslim
The Beltway Snipers were Muslims
The Fort Hood Shooter was a Muslim
The underwear Bomber was a Muslim
The U-S.S. Cole Bombers were Muslims
The Madrid Train Bombers were Muslims
The Bafi Nightclub Bombers were Muslims
The London Subway Bombers were Muslims
The Moscow Theatre Attackers were Muslims
The Boston Marathon Bombers were Muslims
The Pan-Am flight #93 Bombers were Muslims
The Air France Entebbe Hijackers were Muslims
The Iranian Embassy Takeover, was by Muslims
The Beirut U.S. Embassy bombers were Muslims
The Libyan U.S. Embassy Attack was by Musiims
The Buenos Aires Suicide Bombers were Muslims
The Israeli Olympic Team Attackers were Muslims
The Kenyan U.S, Embassy Bombers were Muslims
The Saudi, Khobar Towers Bombers were Muslims
The Beirut Marine Barracks bombers were Muslims
The Besian Russian School Attackers were Muslims
The first World Trade Center Bombers were Muslims
The Bombay & Mumbai India Attackers were Muslims
The Achille Lauro Cruise Ship Hijackers were Muslims
The September 11th 2001 Airline Hijackers were Muslims'

Think of it:

Buddhists living with Hindus = No Problem
Hindus living with Christians = No Problem
Hindus living with Jews = No Problem
Christians living with Shintos = No Problem
Shintos living with Confucians = No Problem
Confusians living with Baha'is = No Problem
Baha'is living with Jews = No Problem
Jews living with Atheists = No Problem
Atheists living with Buddhists = No Problem
Buddhists living with Sikhs = No Problem
Sikhs living with Hindus = No Problem
Hindus living with Baha'is = No Problem
Baha'is living with Christians = No Problem
Christians living with Jews = No Problem
Jews living with Buddhists = No Problem
Buddhists living with Shintos = No Problem
Shintos living with Atheists = No Problem
Atheists living with Confucians = No Problem
Confusians living with Hindus = No Problem

Muslims living with Hindus = Problem
Muslims living with Buddhists = Problem
Muslims living with Christians = Problem
Muslims living with Jews = Problem
Muslims living with Sikhs = Problem
Muslims living with Baha'is = Problem
Muslims living with Shintos = Problem
Muslims living with Atheists = Problem
MUSLIMS LIVING WITH MUSLIMS = BIG PROBLEM

**********SO THIS LEAD TO *****************

They’re not happy in Gaza
They're not happy in Egypt
They're not happy in Libya
They're not happy in Morocco
They're not happy in Iran
They're not happy in Iraq
They're not happy in Yemen
They're not happy in Afghanistan
They're not happy in Pakistan
They're not happy in Syria
They're not happy in Lebanon
They're not happy in Nigeria
They're not happy in Kenya
They're not happy in Sudan

******** So, where are they happy? **********
They're happy in Australia
They're happy in England
They're happy in Belgium
They're happy in France
They're happy in Italy
They're happy in Germany
They're happy in Sweden
They're happy in the USA & Canada
They're happy in Norway & India

They're happy in almost every country that is not Islamic! And who do they blame? Not Islam... Not their leadership... Not themselves... THEY BLAME THE COUNTRIES THEY ARE HAPPY IN!! And they want to change the countries they're happy in, to be like the countries they came from where they were unhappy.

Islamic Jihad: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
ISIS: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Al-Qaeda: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Taliban: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Hamas: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Hezbollah: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Boko Haram: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Al-Nusra: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Abu Sayyaf: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Al-Badr: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Muslim Brotherhood: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Lashkar-e-Taiba: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Palestine Liberation Front: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Ansaru: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Jemaah Islamiyah: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Abdullah Azzam Brigades: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION

AND A LOT MORE !!!!!!!

This is the world we live in.... just think about it and project out twenty, thirty or fifty years.... More mosques being built in the USA
every day.... Like they said in the movie... "If You Build It They Will Come"

Remember: Islam MEANS submission. And if you do not submit?

John Quincy Adams on Islam

"In the seventh century of the Christian era, a wandering Arab of the lineage of Hagar, the Egyptian, combining the powers of transcendent genius, with the preternatural energy of a fanatic, and the fraudulent spirit of an impostor, proclaimed himself as a messenger from Heaven, and spread desolation and delusion over an extensive portion of the earth. Adopting from the sublime conception of the Mosaic law, the doctrine of one omnipotent God; he connected indissolubly with it, the audacious falsehood, that he was himself his prophet and apostle. Adopting from the new Revelation of Jesus, the faith and hope of immortal life, and of future retribution, he humbled it to the dust, by adapting all the rewards and sanctions of his religion to the gratification of the sexual passion. He poisoned the sources of human felicity at the fountain, by degrading the condition of the female sex, and the allowance of polygamy; and he declared undistinguishing and exterminating war, as a part of his religion, against all the rest of mankind. THE ESSENCE OF HIS DOCTRINE WAS VIOLENCE AND LUST: TO EXALT THE BRUTAL OVER THE SPIRITUAL PART OF HUMAN NATURE." John Quincy Adams The American Annual Register for the Years 1827-8-9 (New York: E. & G.W. Blunt), 29:267-402 posted at Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=7&article=1142

Thomas Jefferson and the Musselmen [Muslims]

Our first encounter as a nation with Muslims was when we were very weak. Appeasement and paying ransom for our sailors.  What's the excuse now?

"In March 1785, when Jefferson was Ambassador to France and John Adams was Ambassador to Great Britain, the two met in London with Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja, the Ambassador to Britain from Tripoli.  The Barbary Pirates had captured American merchant ships and had imprisoned their passengers and crew.  Not yet having a strong navy, the Congress wanted to negotiate a fair tribute as a way to appease the pirates.

Jefferson and Adams were eager to know how the Barbary States could claim the right of piracy against peaceful American merchant vessels.   Jefferson wrote that, in the ambassador’s view, according to the Koran, “all Nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon whoever they could find and to make Slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman [Muslim] who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.” . . .By 1800, the annual payments to piratic Muslim states were almost one million dollars a year, one fifth of the federal budget."

 http://sharlaslabyrinth.blogspot.com/2014/08/thomas-jefferson-mussulmen-muslim.html

It won’t be long now

If you’re looking for a reason, don’t waste your time

“Cartoons did not start militant Islam’s fire. Neither did the Bushes, Israel, the Satanic Verses, the Pope, beauty pageants, KFC restaurants in the Middle East, Mohammed teddy bears, or a YouTube video.

The Religion of Perpetual Outrage hates all infidels for all reasons for all time. The targeting of Mohammed cartoonists is a convenient excuse to feed the eternal flame of Islamists’ hatred of the West. If it isn’t ca...rtoons, it’s always something else. The grudge is everlasting.

Instead of acknowledging their gutlessness in the face of Koran-inspired Muslim vigilantes, press pontificators cloak their fear in the mumbo-jumbo of “tolerance.” They demand that the rest of us to pledge fealty to their selective multi-culti sensitivities lest we be branded “Islamophobes.”"  Michelle Malkin

http://michellemalkin.com/…/media-cowards-and-the-cartoon-…/

Freedom of speech in the United States?

The French are planning to have a free speech rally now that the Jihadis are dead (along with hostages and journalists). Wouldn't that be nice to have a free speech rally in the U.S., but probably only the Tea Party would do that, and then the left would call them terrorists.

A quarter of the 26,500 immigrants to Israel in 2014 were from France, where there is a growing violent anti-semitism. Until a crisis like we've seen in the last 2 days, the French government seems helpless. Along with other Europeans who have immigrated they say Europe seems dead, Israel seems alive. No sense trying for the U.S.--we're only welcoming illegals. https://www.commentarymagazine.com/…/zionist-dream-come-tr…/

In France you can't publish cartoons of the prophet Mohammed for public dissemination. In the U.S. you can't privately publish your beliefs about sex for personal use.

http://dailysignal.com/2015/01/08/atlanta-fire-chief-fired-expressing-christian-beliefs/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/01/06/atlantas-fire-chief-fired-following-controversy-over-his-religious-book/

“This is not about religious freedom, this is not about free speech.” said the Mayor of Atlanta.  No, it never is when you object to homosexuality based on religious beliefs.  It’s just old fashioned leftist bigotry.

Yesterday it looked like the Paris police were all over this. Today, not so much. Now 2 hostage situations, and possibly 2 more dead. The NYPD once had the best counter terrorism force in our country--maybe the world. DeBlasio has dismantled it. Why? It could happen here. http://www.limitstogrowth.org/…/new-york-mayor-de-blasio-i…/

Club for Growth pro-economic growth policy goals

For the 114th Congress

• Reduce income tax rates
• Death tax repeal
• Limited government through limited spending and budget reform
• Social Security reform with personal retirement accounts for younger workers
• Freer trade
• Tort reform
• Replacing the current tax code (flat tax, fair tax)
• School choice
• Regulatory reform and deregulation

Teixobactin—this is good news

I love this stuff. God doesn't make junk. "Many of the most widely used antibiotics have come out of the dirt. Penicillin came from Penicillium, a fungus found in soil, and vancomycin came from a bacterium found in dirt. Now, researchers from Northeastern University and NovoBiotic Pharmaceuticals and their colleagues have identified a new Gram-positive bacteria-targeting antibiotic from a soil sample collected in Maine that can kill species including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Moreover, the researchers have not yet found any bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotic, called teixobactin. Their results are published today (January 7) in Nature." The Scientist, Jan. 7, 2015.

Obama is campaigning again

The President is on the campaign trail for his legacy talking about the economic recovery. This recession recovery has been the slowest on record, and we're still 2 trillion behind where we should be if it had been a normal recovery (recession was over in June 2009). The middle class has gone without a raise for 7 years. The big boost to the economy in 2014 was increased health care spending, now that's something to cheer, and the wallet fattening lower gasoline prices caused by fracking which all his supporters hate. The fat cats are loving the stock market. The rosy economic picture he is painting could continue if Republicans show some backbone, or other body parts, and the Keystone Pipeline gets passed (he's already announced he's going to veto it after 6 years of study) and they stop all the crazy regulations that are holding business and growth back.

http://www.wsj.com/video/obama-speaks-at-ford-motor-co-assembly-plant/E0B6F7C5-FFF2-4819-A466-B689AD5040B4.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/08/us/politics/obama.html?_r=0

Some factors about longevity are about race, not poverty or education

Hispanics on average live 80.6 years, non-Hispanic whites 78.1 years and African Americans 72.9. More education can add as much as 10 years to the life expectancy of blacks and white; but for Hispanics, it doesn't seem to matter. A high school drop out will still live longer than an educated white or black American.

http://newamericamedia.org/2012/12/latino-life-expectancy-exploring-the-hispanic-paradox.php

A 25-year old Latino high school dropout in 2008 is likely to outlast both his African-American and white gender counterparts by ten years. Actually, he will probably fall about three years short of the estimated mortality demise of very highly educated white males.

Je Suis Charlie (I am Charlie)

I'm finding this a bit hypocritical coming from Americans. In this country, you can't speak in favor of a discussion on traditional marriage without losing your tenured faculty position at a Catholic university or your bakery business or floral shop, and God forbid if you're a chef who used the n-word two decades ago. And in Canada, you can be put in jail if you are against “full inclusion.” Yes, it's not the same as being murdered, but it's also not freedom of speech and religion.

Also, the murder of those French cartoonists who insulted religious people of all faiths was terrible, and coverage has been from sunrise to sundown, but Africans are dying too at the hands of Muslim terrorists. Much of Nigeria is, or was, Christian, but Muslims and Christians lived peacefully together until a few years ago. Boko Haram is killing and kidnapping, and after a brief flurry of media interest in the summer, we heard nothing.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30728158

Six things about Vitamin D, Harvard Medical School Health Beat

A number of factors influence a person’s vitamin D levels. Here are six important ones.

1. Where you live. The further away from the Equator you live, the less vitamin D–producing UVB light reaches the earth’s surface during the winter. Residents of Boston, for example, make little if any of the vitamin from November through February. Short days and clothing that covers legs and arms also limit UVB exposure.

2. Air quality. Carbon particles in the air from the burning of fossil fuels, wood, and other materials scatter and absorb UVB rays, diminishing vitamin D production. In contrast, ozone absorbs UVB radiation, so pollution-caused holes in the ozone layer could end up enhancing vitamin D levels.

3. Use of sunscreen. Sunscreen prevents sunburn by blocking UVB light. Theoretically, that means sunscreen use lowers vitamin D levels. But as a practical matter, very few people put on enough sunscreen to block all UVB light, or they use sunscreen irregularly, so sunscreen’s effects on vitamin D might not be that important. An Australian study that’s often cited showed no difference in vitamin D between adults randomly assigned to use sunscreen one summer and those assigned a placebo cream.

4. Skin color. Melanin is the substance in skin that makes it dark. It “competes” for UVB with the substance in the skin that kick-starts the body’s vitamin D production. As a result, dark-skinned people tend to require more UVB exposure than light-skinned people to generate the same amount of vitamin D.

5. Weight. Body fat sops up vitamin D, so it’s been proposed that it might provide a vitamin D rainy-day fund: a source of the vitamin when intake is low or production is reduced. But studies have also shown that being obese is correlated with low vitamin D levels and that being overweight may affect the bioavailability of vitamin D.

6. Age. Compared with younger people, older people have lower levels of the substance in the skin that UVB light converts into the vitamin D precursor. There’s also experimental evidence that older people are less efficient vitamin D producers than younger people.

Don’t see a link, but this is on their e-mail newsletter. http://www.health.harvard.edu/

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

Some people think you are a racist if you mention this

Pelosi—what part of Catholicism does she follow?

The Pelosi/Boehner smooch yesterday as he was reelected House Speaker reminded me of just how promiscuous she is. This story is 7 months old, but the history behind it is important. A "religious" 501c3 non-profit funded by Soros and promoting leftist causes. "The real story here is the betrayal of the bishops by those like John Gehring, formerly the Assistant Director of Media Relations at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who now works at the George Soros-funded Faith in Public Life/Faithful America. It is activists like Gehring who are providing the real power behind Pelosi’s threats. Faithful America is a 501c (3) organization that has been very involved in political activity during the past few years."

http://www.crisismagazine.com/2014/whats-behind-pelosis-attack-archbishop-cordileone

Faithful America was originally founded in 2004 by then Catholic Democratic congressman Tom Perriello. It was always a political organization—described in their literature as a “communications and organizing resource center dedicated to helping faith leaders reclaim the values debate in America for justice, compassion and the common good.” The reality was that Faithful America was created to help Perriello convince voters—especially pro-life voters—to move beyond what he called “divisive abortion rhetoric. . .

Faith in Public Life/Faithful American have implemented a strategy of attacking the teachings of the Catholic Church by directly attacking the authority of the bishops. Faith in Public Life has been flush with Soros money—although in 2010 Wallis refused to acknowledge the receipt of the funds.  Wallis finally admitted what he called “his error” when the funding was made public in an article called “Wallis vs The Truth” by World Magazine editor Marvin Olasky.”

Plane crash, war hero and God

No, this isn’t about Louis Zamperini, featured in the movie “Unbroken”.

In her 1944 book “The great answer” popular American author Margaret Lee Runbeck (1905-1956) writes about Eddie Rickenbacker’s 24 day ordeal in 1942 when the WWI hero was touring bases during WWII and the plane went down leaving the crew to drift for 24 days in the Pacific.  Runbeck writes about millions of people praying for him as a personal experience (very moving), “We waited and we did see.  Some of us almost gave up. But not the taxi-driver, nor the boy with the shoe-shine box, nor Joe who sells papers, nor Mrs. McGinty.  Nor Mrs. Rickebacker.  Nor I.”  She tells about the thrill and excitement when the newspapers reported the rescue and then reading down the column, “Four paragraphs down it was, in my newspaper, that word occurred.  “God.”  You don’t often meet it in a newspaper.  It gave you a funny feeling.  And more than that.  A strange excited feeling, as if something good had happened to all of us.”  She goes on to tell his story (with 6 witnesses) that Rickenbacker told of a gull lighting on his head, and his catching and killing it for the starving men to eat. 

"And this part I would hesitate to tell, except that there were six witnesses who saw it with me. A gull came out of nowhere, and lighted on my head -- I reached up my hand very gently--I killed him and then we divided him equally among us. We ate every bit, even the little bones. Nothing ever tasted so good."

She says everyone was talking about it, that gull and Eddie. Then after a few weeks he went on a speaking tour and something happened to the story. When it came to God’s part, or the millions praying, that had all been toned down and Rickenbacker had new, more sophisticated explanation for what had happened. Runbeck says she was very disappointed with the story that later ran in Life magazine. However, years later, after her death,  Billy Graham includes Rickenbacker’s story in his book Angels and says Rickenbacker became a Christian through the experience and told Graham God had sent an angel (p. 4).

Billy Graham also is featured in the Zamperini story, although not in the movie Unbroken.  The conversion story is left out of the movie.

From comments at a website selling old books, about The Great Answer by Runbeck.

“The Great Answer was a book that had come to me in a pile of books belonging to someone who had "moved on". I was riveted with the humility, the sincerity of each character in the book. This was a time when I was a pre-teen, and in the face of devastating bombing attacks on ships, on London, and on English country towns, people were saved from death and destruction by their simple trust in God. Their prayers and steadfast dedication in praying in the middle of the worst of the German attacks on England over a period of years, was very humbling. Sometimes the house the person lived in was reduced to rubble, to dust! But they walked away without harm. One woman walked out of concentration camp in Germany under the very eyes of the two guards on duty! People, clinging to pieces of planks,floated in the sea for three weeks before being picked up, but all were saved by the prayers of an older woman who had worked as a missionary. This book should be on the shelves of every home in every country.”

Music to study by

I know that my smart nieces like Lindsey,  Aliyah,  and Joanie take advantage of on line courses for college, but I think it's an age thing. I can't even get past registration for free sites, let alone stay awake to read that much on a screen. Hurts my eyes. But ladies, and anyone else studying hard, here's some piano music to study by. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVP3fUzQHcg

Al Sharpton’s Huckster diet

Low expectations

The liberals' racism of low expectations--absolving a  shakedown artist and presidential buddy, Al Sharpton. "Despite such racism [by Sharpton], President Barack Obama has made Sharpton his go-to guy on matters of race. But not to worry. Obama himself spent 20 years listening to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s anti-Semitic and racist sermons. The news media and intellectual elite don’t condemn Sharpton or Obama, because they have two standards of behavior: one for whites and a lower one for blacks." Walter E. Williams

http://blackcommunitynews.com/liberals-use-black-people-part-ii

http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/01/06/report-al-sharpton-shakes-down-corporations-to-make-racism-claims-disappear/

http://nypost.com/2015/01/04/how-sharpton-gets-paid-to-not-cry-racism-at-corporations/

http://nationalactionnetwork.net/

http://joeforamerica.com/2015/01/al-sharptons-money-train/

I wonder what he’s got on Obama?

Sorting through old recipes

The painters have finished; bookshelves are put back. I'm going through some loose recipes, pitching most, especially if they need cans of concentrated soups to make them taste good or I haven't tried them in 15 years of saving.

Here's a keeper. I made it for Christmas Eve 1996, "Light Baked Potato Soup." It's called light because the original had about 1100 calories a bowl, and this is 385. Best potato soup I ever ate and very hearty. The chef's index is still up on the web, so here it is. http://www.cafecreosote.com/recipe1.php3?rid=269

This is supposed to be similar to Houlihan's potato soup--which I've never tried and don't know if it is still on the menu. But if it is, it's over 1000 calories and you can't have dessert!

Some are just too cute to pitch. Like my daughter's hand printed (maybe 7th grade?) recipe for Chocolate Delight with a French Christmas carol. A recipe typed (manual) on Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy's note stationery given to me by Lynne Wilburn for Chocolate Cake (I'm seeing a theme). A hand written recipe on yellow lined paper for “Pumpkin Pie Squares” with a "to Olive from Meredith" note. "Refrigerator Pickles" recipe dated 9-4-96, probably my mother's on my dad's note paper. A pre-1989 Thanksgiving card from my sister with a Cranberry relish recipe in it. "Bus tour casserole" hand written by me from my mother's collection which I think was from a tour she and my sister took to New England. And a few from my "crunchy" days in the 1970s when my family was forced to eat a FLOTUS type menu.

This wasn’t in the pile, just like seeing Mom’s handwriting.

How the non-employed spend their time—men and women

I did a survey like this of my own life about 40 years ago when I was a SAHM and the children were in elementary school. I counted their time at school as "work," my husband's time including travel as "work," his home maintenance chores and outdoor yard care as work, and tracked what I did that could conceivably be called work--house cleaning, cooking, laundry, organizing, transportation of the children, supervising play groups, doctor's appointments, helping with school projects. I lost big time. Everyone in the family, including the children, was working harder and longer hours than I was (I had a nap every afternoon). The meme is how hard women at home work--nonsense. Many women I know make up work, both those who are employed and those who work at home. Being busy is a compulsion with many women, and a lot is just wasted time. My great great grandmothers Williford (TN) and Wenger (OH) worked hard--had no electricity or running water, helped with the farm, slaughtered animals for food, baked their own bread, made clothes and quilts, raised their own food, fed the hired men, nursed the sick, took in less fortunate relatives, and birthed 10+ babies. Now that was work!

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/01/06/upshot/how-nonemployed-americans-spend-their-weekdays-men-vs-women.html

Snow Day for schools in Columbus and suburbs

I don’t think it will amount to much—4 inches will do it here—or extremely cold.  AZ and I decided yesterday after hearing the forecast not to meet for coffee today, but I do have a dental appointment.  Maybe the roads will be clear by then.

Talk about privilege!

There was thin privilege.  And now White privilege.  But Asian Americans make the most money of any group.  Is that Asian privilege?  A married couple with children has a median income in the mid 80s compared to a single mom with children in the mid 20s. They are also healthier and better educated.  Is that marriage privilege?  And what about those educated people who are earning more than those with a GED or high school degrees?  Is that higher education privilege? Government employees make more money and get better perks than civilian.  Employment privilege?  And lobbyists make more and have more influence than the industries they represent.  Is that lobby privilege? The cost of living in Columbus, OH is 32.0% lower than in Long Beach, CA . Is that Buckeye privilege?

Bootleggers and Baptists

Regulations make strange bedfellows. Baptists may be pleased that liquor stores are closed on Sundays, but so are bootleggers because their competition is closed down. And this happens in all areas of the economy. Restrictions on some mean more profits for others. You really need to look for this in environmental regulations which sets up a new, lucrative cartel. http://www.learnliberty.org/videos/bootleggers-and-baptists/

Morning chuckle

Would a new law make a difference?

Most articles about immigration, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian and Communist, including this one, begin with this as a given, "The United States immigration system is broken." But when you look through the 10 points, you see the current law isn't being followed or enforced, so why would the next one?

An Immigration Checklist: 10 Areas of Reform that Congress Should Demand of the President

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/11/an-immigration-checklist-10-areas-of-reform-that-congress-should-demand-of-the-president

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/11/ten-step-checklist-for-revitalizing-americas-immigration-system-how-the-administration-can-fulfill-its-responsibilities

1. Overriding and removing existing executive orders, agency memorandums, or other executive policy directives that ignore or contradict existing law;
2. Allowing immigration agencies to enforce and apply the law without workplace interference, political pressure, or procedural obstacles;
3. Providing the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency with a fully operational system of sensor and camera technologies and infrastructure on the southwest border to multiply the efficacy of their efforts;
4. Using the appropriate judicial and administrative tools efficiently to remove and return unlawful immigrants to their home countries;
5. Increasing enforcement against businesses that knowingly employ unlawful labor;
6. Engaging with international partners and remaining committed to citizen security and democratic governance in the Western Hemisphere;
7. Making U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), more efficient and effective;
8. Reporting accurate immigration data to Congress and the American people in a truthful, consistent, and complete manner;
9. Soliciting the assistance and support of the states in enforcing immigration laws and limiting the effectiveness of those governments that attempt to frustrate enforcement with sanctuary policies; and
10. Verifying the success of these actions through honest and accurate Census survey data of the unlawful immigrant population.

“Under President Obama, immigration laws are unilaterally ignored, waived, or changed. The rule of law suffers and more illegal immigration is encouraged, imposing large financial and security costs on the U.S. Indeed, the U.S. immigration system is broken because of the executive branch’s decision not to execute existing immigration law. The U.S. is a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. There is no need to sacrifice either of these principles in pursuit of the other. “ David Inserra

Marriage and poverty

Marriage drops the probability of child poverty by 82%. U.S. Census Community Facts reports the median family income in married couple households with their own children is $82,163; for a male headed household with children it is $37,127; female headed household with children is $24,349. These figures do not reflect wealth transfer gov't programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, public housing, day care, and TANF. Marriage is a much greater fighter of poverty than adding years of education to a single parent.

"CHILDREN CHARACTERISTICS more information 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates" http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF

I took the Viet Nam War trivia quiz. . . and got “War Historian”

I'm sure I didn't get them all--wish they would show what was missed. I won't identify what high school student I was talking to in the 1980s, but of course, Viet Nam was ancient history then. The student didn't know which came first, WWII or Vietnam. It had become popular by then to think teaching facts was just boring and unnecessary. When I watch Watters' World (Fox) I'm not surprised when college students think Lincoln was a founding father, or don't know the name of the current vice president. They can name all the Kardashians, though.

Quote of the Day

"You don’t get to hang out with Sharpton, endorse protesters calling for the death of cops, and then put on your fake mourning act at a police funeral." Daniel Greenfield reporting on the funeral of Detective Wenjian Liu.

What happens to taxes beginning January 1, 2015

A small reminder of what began on January 1, 2015:

Top Medicare tax goes from 1.45% to 2.35%
Top Income tax bracket goes from 35% to 39.6%
Top Income payroll tax goes from 37.4% to 52.2%...
Capital Gains tax goes from 15% to 28%
Dividends tax goes from 15% to 39.6%
Estate tax goes from 0% to 55%
Remember this fact:
These taxes were all passed only with Democrat votes, no Republicans voted for these taxes.
These taxes were all passed under the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.

Passed around the internet. I checked this at Snopes which says it's untrue because some of it happened in 2013 and 2014, and most of it only happens to the rich, and that the vote part only refers to the ACA part.  OK, I'll give them that; some are the result of the Bush tax cuts expiring. But the ACA has had some serious tax consequences.

Leg Exercises for Older Adults for gait speed

JAMA  May 28,2014, vol 311 no 20—diagnosis gait problems in the elderly

http://www.eldergym.com/leg-exercises.html  with videos

1. Ankle Circles
This exercise improves your ankle flexibility and ability to  move your ankle upward and downward.
This is a great warm up exercise for the lower leg and feet.

2. Hip Marching
This exercise will strengthen your hip flexor and thighs.
With correct seated posture it will also help your abdominal muscles.
3. Knee Extension
Strengthening your knees width knee strengthening exercises will improve your ability to stand and balance.
This exercise will improve your available knee range of motion.
4. Calf Raises
Strengthening your calf muscles with calf exercises will give your more power to step forward on level surfaces or carry you up hills on uneven terrain.
Helps pump blood up from your legs to your upper-body and brain.
5. Standing Knee Flexion
These knee exercises strengthens your hamstring muscles.
Also helps with your standing balance.
6. Side Hip Raise
Safely strengthens your side hip muscles to help with hip arthritis.
Helps maintain your lower body endurance to better walk and side step around objects.
7.Sit to Stand
Excellent hip exercises to maintain your leg and hip strength.
One of the most important exercises used daily to keep your independence and confidence.
8. Heel Stand
Strengthens the front part of the lower leg with ankle stretches.
You will become better able to raise your toes to avoid tripping.
9. Lunges
To strengthen your quadriceps and hips with leg toning exercises.
Improve your ability to get out of a chair and balance.
Help you with lifting chores around the house.
10. Straight Leg Raise
To increase your quadriceps and hip flexor strength with this leg workout.
To strengthen your abdominal muscles.
Allow you to advance your leg during walking with greater ease.
11. Partial Squats
Increase your hip flexibility, quadriceps strength and hip flexor strength.
Improve your ability to get up from a chair and walk.
Steady your body for better balance and safety.
12. Hip Extension
This exercise will help with strengthening the hip joint and muscles.
This will improve the ability to walk and propel yourself forward or up stairs.

Finally, after the fourth try. . .

The appliances are all in, wired correctly and plumb. My, what a difference.  We’ve been dealing with this since October. I've just baked my snickerdoodles with cranberries for Joanne Foster’s reception tomorrow at UALC. She is retiring after 25 years and most currently has been shepherding older adults. She will be missed--always cheerful and encouraging. Now I have to resist tasting them to be sure they are OK. Sure do smell good.

Feminism explained

What do you do?   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ro6fcj6Ek&feature=youtu.be

 

Dengue and chikungunya

Will environmentalists relent and allow DDT in the U.S. again now that both Aedes aegypti and Anopheles quadrimaculatus mosquitoes have returned in force? Dengue fever, called break bone fever, and chikungunya, pronounced chik-en-gun-ye whose major symptoms are fever and joint pain (name means “that which bends up”) have been appearing in the U.S. due to travel and mosquitoes spread the virus.

Of course, the ban on DDT killed millions in Africa and Asia.  Will they relent for Americans?

http://www.examiner.com/article/dengue-fever-and-chikungunya-the-coming-threat

http://www.wired.com/2014/06/us-travelers-chikungunya/

Mosquito Borne Diseases: What Diseases Do They Carry? (pest-help.com)

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/debilitating-virus-infect/

Given a choice between dengue fever or another mosquito-borne disease called chikungunya fever, choose dengue every time. Neither has an available vaccine or treatment, but chikungunya (pronounced chik-un-GUHN-ya) is far more severe – it literally means “that which bends up” because patients are often stooped over from debilitating joint pain.

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/15/174

Friday Family Photos—Christmas 2014

Phil won a set of jade green dishes in the company Christmas drawing.

Bob is loving his guitar lessons and received a number of accessories for Christmas

It’s hard to get them to smile, so I really worked on this one.

Phil’s cheeseburger bacon lasagna.

A lovely tree and decorated fireplace.

Police are investigating

the murder of a black man, Reginald Jones, said to be a wonderful father, gregarious and hard worker was the last murder of 2014 for Chicago.  If the assailant turns out to be white, you’ll hear about this on the national news. Maybe Al Sharpton or Eric Holder can come for the protests or the funeral.   If he’s black, and 93% of these murders are, then you’ll never hear of him again.

http://wgntv.com/2015/01/01/chicago-crime-and-murders-at-historic-lows/

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-chicago-shootings-20141231-story.html

http://chicago.suntimes.com/news-chicago/7/71/251270/police-man-shot-death-avalon-park-neighborhood

The shooting occurred about 2:30 p.m. at Rodriguez Rims & Tires at 80th and S. Stony Island Ave in Avalon Park, police said. A gunman in a ski mask approached Jones, shot him multiple times and ran away, police told Jones’ family.

More on non-profit annual reports—Planned Parenthood

Yesterday I wrote about frustration with slick annual reports. Talk about a glitzy annual report--you should see the Planned Parenthood 2013-14. Lots of smiling young women. 327,653 abortions--94% of its "health" services, about 38% of which are for black women. (CDC reports 72% in Mississippi for blacks, 42% in Ohio, and 67% for black teens in New York), $528.4 million from government grants and reimbursements, which equaled 41 percent of its revenue. The rest comes from donations and foundation grants. And the CEO received nearly half a million in salary and benefits. PP has $1.4 billion in net assets.

Abortion is a very lucrative business. "Black lives matter," except in the womb.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/6714/1996/2641/2013-2014_Annual_Report_FINAL_WEB_VERSION.pdf

http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2015/01/01/planned-parenthood-annual-report-all-about-abortions-and-profits/

http://dailycaller.com/2014/01/09/planned-parenthoods-annual-report-shows-abortion-pays/

There is a lot of good news out there—and that’s upsetting to some

The world has never been safer, or healthier; there's never been a better time to be alive if you want freedom to achieve your dreams and goals despite your ethnicity, religion or gender. Despite the charges of homophobia, there has never been a better, safer time in the history of the world to be LGBT. Wars are declining. NYC and other big cities have never been safer. Despite huge increases in population and gun ownership, gun violence is decreasing. And that, I think, is part of the motivation of the current round of loud protesters seeking media attention. They are Communist funded and based, and their current cause is police violence against blacks (they don't fret when white thugs and petty criminals die resisting an arrest). Violence is the lowest in 2 decades. Life expectancy is rising in all countries, not just ours; airline and auto travel have never been safer; technology, medical advances and capitalism are contributing to our longer, safer life span. In the U.S. minorities for several years have outpaced whites in college enrollments. There is no wage gap for women college grads in their 20s and 30s, and women have outnumbered men in college for over a decade. There is no rape crisis on campus. So what is the left to do when they see their schemes and lies shriveling, funding sources drying up and people ignoring them? Set up a straw man and then attack.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2893125/Nearly-100-protesters-storm-St-Louis-police-headquarters-25-arrested-pepper-sprayed.html

http://abcnews.go.com/US/protesters-years-eve-highlight-police-brutality/story?id=27927793

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/protests-planned-new-years/2014/12/31/id/615776/

A good start to the New Year

What a fabulous way to end the old and start the new.  UALC had its 12th New Year's Eve Jazz Worship service, and as I looked around, the sanctuary at Mill Run appeared nearly full (seats about 700).  We enjoyed some TV theme song favorites with audience participation, then some great jazzed up hymns, a sermon from Pastor TJ, a moving communion service with all our pastors and their wives serving, and final closing. Then we went out to eat with Bill and Joyce, got turned away at Houlihan's so we migrated to our old stand-by Rusty Bucket on Lane and had a lovely meal and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Beginning the New Year with God and friends--you can't beat that.

Greetings for the new year

"Then sing, young  hearts that are full of cheer, with never a thought of sorrow; the old goes out, but the glad young year comes merrily in tomorrow."-Emily Miller

    My friend Lynne writes to her high school classmates, “ found this in 1960 when the 50's slipped off the radar scene and thought, ‘My goodness -1960-that sounds strange,’-now it’s 2015 – friends, we have come a long way-hasn't it been fun and isn't it good to be alive... enjoy the coming  year and may all good things come your way... Lynne

Do churches still do this? Take in homeless?

http://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/13/nyregion/homeless-find-humanity-at-private-shelters.html New York Times article from 1988.

Our church used to do this in the late 80s, early 90s, I think—a busload of people would come for dinner and a night’s sleep off the street or away from the shelters.  Volunteers helped with food prep and baby sitting.  I don’t remember how long this went on—a year or two, but I think the volunteers burned out pretty fast.  Eventually our church took in the Hilltop Lutheran church members and facility, so our focus for volunteering shifted there.

''No matter how good the city system is, no matter how good their people are, they cannot provide the kind of care, concern and dignity that folks from churches and synagogues in the neighborhoods can do,'' said Peter P. Smith, the president of the Partnership for the Homeless.

But in practice, it is all but impossible to compare the two systems and to say how much of the difference is due to individual acts of charity and caring and how much to screening. Those who stay at the church shelters must be willing to abide by a series of rules and are carefully selected: drug addicts, alcoholics and the mentally unstable are unwelcome.

Once they pass the test, they must be willing to wait up to an hour or more for a bus ride to a distant church or synagogue, where they are often awakened at 6:30 the next morning for a bus ride back. Since some shelters, including B'nai Jeshurun's, are open only three or four days a week, they must also juggle a complicated schedule.

The screening system reduces the risks of incidents at churches and helps keep the most vulnerable among the homeless - those most likely to be robbed or victimized - out of city shelters.

So, I googled my question: and here’s what I found.  120 churches in the Columbus area had an Interfaith Hospitality Network, which began in 1988 and morphed to became a bricks and mortar family shelter.

The History of the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN)

The IHN began as the second housing network in the United States in 1988 and grew to include more than 120 churches. The system allowed homeless families to sleep on cots at various religious institutions nightly and the next morning were bused back to a day center (400 W. Broad St.). By the end of the 1990s, YWCA Columbus had assumed 24-hour responsibilities in transporting the families and managing day services. The realization that family homelessness was a social issue that was not going to go away led to a number of staff transitions and further visioning of a new model for responding to family homelessness. By 2003, the YWCA began planning its new Family Center and successfully completed a $7-million capital campaign to build it. [according another link it opened in 2005]

Annual reports for non-profits

I don't like glitzy annual reports for non-profits. If you want to find out how they are using your money and helping society for all their federal tax benefits and huge salaries for CEOs you have to wade through page after page of posed photos and graphs that tell you nothing. Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio was the latest I was trying to read--but the most recent report is 2012, and for the section for homeless (Faith Mission) it is 2011. I began my search trying ...to find out what had become of the Interfaith Hospitality Network begun by churches in 1988 (became a building run by the YW around 2005), and in the process found the new offices of the LSSCO. Fancy digs in Worthington, far, far away from hunger and homelessness. As they say in DC, bad optics. Also while waiting for pages to load, I discovered there is an app for locating homeless shelters. For the Obamaphone?

I stopped supporting LSS several years ago when I found out their health insurance covered abortion.  This was before the Obamacare push.

Remember the sad stories about bankruptcy due to medical costs Obama told us?

To Sharyl Attkisson:

October 20, 2014 at 7:59 pm
When Obamacare started, I had a first class HMO. But the entire industry exploded in costs and I could not afford $3,000/month premiums. So, I am desperate to find another insurer. And I find what is called an A+ carrier and start paying $1,000/month. BUT: (1) drug costs increased several fold; (2) no coverage for DME and other features I had enjoyed; and (3) HERE’S THE BIG ONE–IT WAS BOGUS COVERAGE! My wife suffered a stroke; after four (4) days her hospital bills exceeded $35,000; AND THE CARRIER SAID: “SHE HAD NO COVERAGE” “SHE WAS NEVER ADMITTED” and “WE PAID ALL WE HAD TO” [$750!]. We had to declare bankruptcy. I connect the bogus carrier with the total and outrageous destruction of the health insurance industry due to Obamacare. The entire system was so ravaged by uncertainty, confusion, and deceit, that FRAUD SKYROCKETED.

HAPPY ENDING: My wife and I qualified for Medicare last month–and we now pay very little. [Of course, it DOES have its limitations, but...]

More sad, terrible stories about the ravages of Obamacare and what it has done.

Using an exercise tracker on-line

Fellow blogger and Facebook friend Joan suggested this site for tracking my cycling. Can also use it for running or walking. "This site provides free online tools to encourage you to keep walking, running or cycling. It includes an exercise log to help you track your mileage. You can choose anonymous walking and running partners with your same goals and track their progress along with your own." Not sure I've figured out if it's easier than writing it down, but I think it's for someone's research. Looking at the log, I'm by far the oldest. Also, I only wanted to bike to Indy to see my sister-in-law Jeanne, but it has me going to the west coast. I’ve been tracking it, and I think I’m at about 35 miles, and it always shows me  a photo of where I am.

Today I had 5 minutes on a tread mill at a doctor’s office for an ABI test, to see why my right leg hurts (possibly PAD). It involves taking your blood pressure before and after exercise.  It wasn’t too difficult, and the technician was very nice, which is always a plus.  So I added the 5 minutes to my chart.

 http://exercise.lbl.gov/index.html

Nine schools of economics explained

http://www.businessinsider.com/table-different-schools-of-economics-2014-6?IR=T

From the man who bought you "the shortest economic textbook in the world"; and "13 things Economists won't tell you", here is Ha-Joon Chang's ultimate pocket guide to the differences (and similarities) between all the economic schools of thought.

Read more: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-25/pocket-guide-understanding-different-schools-economics

The Shady Bunch

Old, tired re-runs, pushing progressive/socialist ideas that have been failing Americans for 100 years.

The golf game wedding snafu in Hawaii

I think the biggest non-story this week is Obama's golf game forcing a military couple to change their wedding plans. I don't think much of Obama as a president, but are we really to believe he personally arranges his golf games? This is a matter of security, and lately his security has been very lax. And so was that of the golf course, which made the decision. Someone should be fired for not noticing the mix up before it became a news story. He should send them a nice gift—a phone call doesn’t do it.

With so many scandals to choose from, I hate to see conservatives wallowing in stuff like this that he had no control over. We had something similar happen at our daughter's wedding in 1993. The senior pastor decided he needed the kitchen of the church to feed Billy Graham volunteers for one of his crusades in town that week. We'd had the fellowship hall for the reception reserved for 9 months--paid up front. Fortunately we had a great Christian caterer, who managed to work the kitchen by preparing the food elsewhere and bringing it in. I was one unhappy Mother of the Bride and had a real melt down. I think Joanie Poynter, our niece and the maid of honor, was the peace maker, and it wasn't even her church. Always helps to have a cool head. And that wouldn't be me. Ever.

Rip Van Sanders emerges from Sleepy Hollow

Democrats haven't had a single new idea in 100 years, and Bernie's 12 points prove it. Democrats are old, tired, and running on fumes of slogans like "hope and change." They have no one on the bench except Hillary. No governors; no young exciting Senators.  They rallied around Barack Obama in 2008 and abandoned him in 2010 and 2014.   I've heard this my entire life-- improve infrastructure, raise minimum wage, throw a bone to the women (even though recent graduates out earn men), more education to keep the liberal profs employed, progressive income tax.  We have done it all, Rip Van Sanders, wake up. It's the 21st century.

 http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2014/12/bernie_sanderss_12point_socialist_plan_for_america.html#.

What would de Blasio tell Malik’s mom?

Gee, I wonder if de Blasio warned his bi-racial son about this, or are the police keeping his neighborhood safe for his kids?

“Sometimes he wants to go over to my sister’s house nearby, to hang out with his cousins, but he can’t because he has to cross gang lines and walk past all these gang members on some of those blocks. And all he ever hears on the news about our neighborhood is shootings, gangs and violence. Malik knows he’s not safe,” she said." (Chicago Sun Times)

I don't think Obama's letter to Malik will do much for the boy--" Please know your security is a priority for me in everything I do as President." He’s done nothing for blacks or Chicago in 6 years.  Instead,  Obama has invited race hustlers like Sharpton to the White House, and Eric Holder who thinks there are too many black criminals in prison is on his staff.

Losing our tech touch—Monday Memories

“Young people in Britain have become a lost generation who can no longer mend gadgets and appliances because they have grown up in a disposable world, the professor giving this year’s Royal Institution Christmas lectures has warned. “

It happens. I didn't know the simplest skills like plucking a chicken or cleaning the wick on a kerosene lamp or putting the bit in the draft horse's mouth that my blind grandmother could do with ease.  There was a time (in my teen years) when I knew how to change a flat tire.  I used to know how to thread a 55 year old sewing machine. And in my 50s, I could code html for a web page. I hope I don't lose my ability to make an apple sour cream pie--I've never written down the instructions. A German immigrant housekeeper who worked for my grandparents would make that for an after school snack for the children (my mom and her sibs) after the long cold walk from the country school, Pineview,  uphill both ways, carrying a cello (or so the story went).

 

My mom, second from left, front row, and her brother Clare, second from right, back row.

BulletProof coffee—new word

It’s coffee with a dollop of butter. Supposedly energizing. These directions sound way over done.  But since I prefer Half n Half in my coffee, a bit of butter wouldn’t be a stretch.  I’ve even tried coconut oil. I use decaf, but might try this.  The blender idea sounds good. Remember when butter was demonized? Remember when white margarine came in bags, with a color button so no one would be confused that it might be butter.  As a child, that was my job to mix the butter—it was great fun.  Then came sticks and tubs; then came the warnings about how bad it was for us.  I switched to butter about 2-3 years ago. Everything tastes better.

5 Steps To Bulletproof Your Coffee

#1 Make coffee: Brew coffee as you normally would.  Make sure it’s the right kind of coffee. [ad for a type], read this post to find the best coffee in your area. Use a brown paper filter.

#2 Pre-heat blender: Boil extra water and pour it into a blender while your coffee brews to pre-heat the blender.

#3 Froth: Empty hot water from the now pre-heated  blender and add the brewed coffee, butter, and MCT oil.  Blend  until there is a thick layer of foam on top like a latte. A Blend-tec or Vitamix blender will do it quickly, a normal countertop blender takes longer, and a hand blender works ok if you don’t have a real blender.

#4  (optional) Add cinnamon, vanilla, dark chocolate,  or a sweetener like Stevia, erythritol, or xylitol (this is technically a sacrilege if you use awesome beans, but some people love their mocha…)

#5 : Put on a satisfied look and enjoy the high performance buzz from your creamy mug of Bulletproof Coffee as you watch your chubby, tired coworkers eat low-fat yogurt and twigs for breakfast.  It’s almost unfair.

178.4 miles to Indy

I'm on my way to Indianapolis to see my sister-in-law Jeanne on my exercycle. So far I've gone 13.2 miles beginning Thursday the day after Christmas.  I don't have a fit bit or chart, I'm just jotting down the mileage.

Spaghetti and meatballs—healthy in modest portions

“Thanks to the iron and protein from the beef, lycopene from the tomato sauce and energy-producing carbs from the pasta, this dish is a healthy trifecta. If you stick to modest portions and lean beef, you can enjoy its benefits without overdoing it. Limit yourself to three ounces of meat and a cup of cooked pasta per serving. Pump up the health benefits by using whole-wheat pasta and adding mushrooms to the meatballs to add fiber and cut fat.”

This was on one of those ubiquitous internet lists, “10 foods that are healthier than you think.”  I thought I’d stop while I was ahead. Beef has become so expensive, it’s not difficult to “stick to modest portions.” With a nice green salad with lots of veggies, and maybe some garlic buttered bread,  this is my idea of the perfect mid-winter dinner.

Reminds me of some pets I know

There’s a reason for the perceptions—behavior

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw1lrfFN2HM#t=27

Jason Riley of the Wall Street Journal, who always has facts to back up what he says.

She had to face down a true believer at a social event

“At this point, one of the spouses, whom I’ll call Tiny Tim, announced that Obamacare would correct all this. Everyone, he said, will get better insurance and better medical care, all for a lower price, and there will be no more uninsured. (Hmm…. Where have I heard that before?) I rained on his parade by saying that many of the uninsured were not lining up to buy insurance. Instead, those enrolled under Obamacare were often previously covered people who had been forced onto Obamacare when they lost their own insurance. (See my discussion about that issue here.) Moreover, those who did not qualify for subsidies were seeing substantial increases in their premiums and deductibles, caused in part by increasing medical costs.

At this point, I offered not a statistic but an example: I know a woman from one of my conservative groups. She’s single, self-employed, in her high 50s or low 60s, and was forced onto Obamacare at the end of 2013. When I saw her at a luncheon about three months ago, she was livid. She’d liked her old insurance, which was affordable and provided the coverage the wanted. Her new policy after she lost her old one doubled her premium and her deductible, and saw her paying for a lot of things she didn’t need or want (such as fertility treatments).

Somehow this anecdote enraged Tiny Tim. He drew himself up to his full height of 5’2″ (I am not exaggerating), tried to lean over the table to get into my face (something you can’t do when your short), shook his stubby little finger at me and, with spittle flying from his mouth, announced that I was a liar. “There is no such woman. You’re lying! Lying!” Let’s just say he failed to intimidate me.”

Obama true believers can’t face it.

My run in with an Obamacare Fanatic. “Conservatives deal with facts and reach conclusions; liberals have conclusions and sell them as facts.”

Just good colors

Just looked at my FB photo--wearing the same sweater and scarf to church today. It's the reason I always ask my daughter for clothes for birthday and Christmas. Although she hasn't noticed the weight gain, so I had to remind her this year I no longer wear an S. I had to return the birthday outfit this year for a little skosh in the watchamacallit.

Later: I got so many comments and compliments.

Martha and me

If you wake up in the middle of the night (and can change rooms) turn on Martha Stewart. The other night she made a roux (white sauce) out of sour cream and flour. That was it. So I tried it on Christmas Eve, and it's so simple and tastes really good on hot vegetables. A bit more pizzazz. She said you can add it to hot broth (when making soup) and the sour cream won't separate.

I’ve checked the internet to see if this is listed, but didn’t see it. Really, it wasn’t a dream.

Quiz on heart disease—I got about 70%

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, killing more women than all forms of cancer combined. One in four women die of heart disease, while one in 30 die of breast cancer. Obesity isn’t the biggest risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 39.5% of Americans are at risk for heart disease because of inactivity. The percentages of U.S. adults with other key risk factors are: obesity, 33.9%; high blood pressure, 30.5%; cigarette smoking, 20.8%; high cholesterol, 15.6%; and diabetes, 10.1%.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/rm-quiz-heart-myths

Internet users say they are better informed than 5 years ago

I'm definitely better informed about some rather specialized things than I was 5 years ago--my 2nd cousins once removed, Beyonce and the Kardashians, crazy scandals of the Obama administration, but I think I know less local stuff since we no longer get a newspaper. I did all my research for my new kitchen appliances on the internet, and they still are not properly installed and we're looking at January 2015 (purchased in September). I don't use a cell phone except to call my son, but I saw a woman at Kohl's this morning doing amazing things with hers that I didn't even know were possible. I'm using the internet more for recipes, and my own file less. Data isn't information isn't knowledge isn't wisdom, as the sign in my office used to say.

http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/12/08/better-informed/

Report is based an online probability survey conducted September 12-18, 2014 among a sample of 1,066 adult internet users, 18 years of age or older.

Is this the worst Christmas song ever?

“Do They Even Know It’s Christmas?” is voted as the worst Christmas song ever by this writer at a Catholic site. It's from Band Aid 1984. He says it disrespects Africa and has images of neo-colonialism. However, efforts to end poverty or hunger always improve the heart of the giver, and rarely the recipient in the long term, in my opinion.

http://www.catholicismusa.com/worst-christmas-song-ever-po…/

Frankly, I didn’t remember it, even when I found it on the internet it brought back no memories.  But it must mean a lot to some because there were people defending it, believing they had made a difference.

http://thefederalist.com/2014/12/03/do-they-know-its-christmas-is-the-worst-christmas-song-ever/

http://www.acton.org/pub/commentary/2014/12/17/worst-christmas-song-ever

“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was released in 1984 as part of Band Aid, an effort organized by Bob Geldof in response to a famine that struck the east African nation of Ethiopia. The song certainly captures the spirit of the season, as its charitable aims are noble enough. The problem, however, is in how these good intentions are translated into word and deed. The song describes Africa largely as a barren wasteland, “Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears.” It continues in this vein. Africa, the onetime breadbasket of the Roman Empire and home of the Nile River is a land “where nothing ever grows, no rain nor rivers flow.” The title question likewise plays into the supposed desperation of the continent. The only “Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom.” The response to this call is supposed to be charity from the affluent West, to “feed the world” and thereby “let them know it’s Christmastime again.”

https://medium.com/@magattew/stop-raising-money-for-relief-and-start-investing-in-africa-bd5c44a75557

In 1984, when Geldof’s first African Christmas song was released, no one thought of investing in Africa. Since then, China and India have already begun their path to prosperity.

Now some of the fastest growing nations on earth are African. Yes, Ebola is an urgent humanitarian cause that must be addressed, but we have long passed the point where it is legitimate (if it ever was) to re-enforce the stereotypes of a billion people when we have a very specific health crisis at hand.

Update on Miley the rescued Husky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guXVL-mMcbI

Includes a cute Chihuahua called Frankie in the story who became Miley’s friend. I watched an interview with her new owner today on Fox News.  Her dogs and her husband had died.  She was one of about 500 who applied to be Miley’s owner and says the dog has save HER.  She’s the one shown in the back ground taking photos and from the looks of her home, Miley is one lucky dog.

Maisie Dobbs mysteries

If I didn't belong to a book club, I'd probably never read fiction. But last year the group read "Maisie Dobbs," by Jacqueline Winspear, a mystery about the aftermath of WWI. For porch reading, my husband who reads less fiction than I do, picked it up this past summer, and liked it, so our daughter found 2 for him at a Marblehead (OH) used bookstore. I bought him 5 more for Christmas. There is another (the 11th) due in 2015 and I still need the 2nd and 3rd. http://www.jacquelinewinspear.com/novels.php

Much of our culture—books, movies, history—focuses on WWII.  We forget what a terrible tragedy WWI was—lives lost and countries realigned.  The series is interesting from that point of view.

http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/03/3601-only-7000-dead-and-wounded-today-i.html

Biblical archeology—list of resources

Bibarch.  http://www.bibarch.com/

  Seems to be a list of sources and links. Biblical archaeology, with its concentration on the Levant, deals with the study of the archaeology of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. Through biblical archaeology scholars gain a fuller perception of the events and the lifeways of the peoples described in the Bible. In biblical archaeology we reconstruct the lifeways of biblical peoples and learn of the cultural change, known as cultural process, in their civilizations.

Biblical archaeology review magazine  http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/magazine/

“Biblical Archaeology Review is a one-of-a-kind archaeology magazine that acts as a bridge between the academic study of archaeology and a broad general audience eager to understand the world of the Bible better.” Written for scholars and lay people, Christians and Jews, Catholics and Protestants, Evangelicals and main line members. I signed on for a free e-book, but not sure of its direction or slant; included with e-mail updates.  I think the church library at UALC has this.

American Schools of Oriental Research http://www.asor.org/ 

Digital newsletter archives at the site. Publishes The Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (BASOR)  “a leader among peer-reviewed academic journals of the ancient Near East.”  Digitally you can read table of contents, abstracts and preview of the first page.  I could read this on JSTOR (if I’d up date my OSU record). Latest issue (in Dec. 2014) seems to be May 2014, and there are 2 issues a year.  Other features like archives of photographs. http://digilibtest.bu.edu/sth/archon-asor/index.php?p=digitallibrary/thumbnails&collectionid=32

This will be updated as I find more that interest me.

The Serenity Prayer—”enjoying one moment at a time”—don’t miss that!

God, grant me
The SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change,
The COURAGE to change the things I can,
And the WISDOM to know the difference;

LIVING one day at a time;
ENJOYING one moment at a time;
ACCEPTING hardship as a pathway to peace;
TAKING, as Jesus did, this sinful world, as it is, not as I would have it;
TRUSTING that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will;

So that I may be REASONABLY happy in this life and
SUPREMELY happy with You forever in the next. Amen.
Adapted from Reinhold Niebuhr

Helman and the VA scandal

Oh my.  Do I really want to look into this expanded VA mess? It had all been swept under the table by removals and firings, and now Helman brings a law suit to get her job back, and someone unwraps the garbage. She couldn’t be blamed for the wait times, but could be fired for accepting improper gifts from lobbyists.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2886481/Judge-weighs-firing-Phoenix-VA-director.html

Sharon Helman was removed from her job after the Phoenix VA became the epicenter of allegations that veterans died while waiting to see a doctor

Judge also found Helman could not be fired because of the secret lists and long wait times, saying the VA did not prove that Helman was involved

House VA committee chair Jeff Miller said the ruling serves as a reminder that additional Phoenix VA employees must be held accountable

Dismissal was justified by acceptance of nine improper gifts from a lobbyist including airfare around the country and entry into amarathon

Other gifts were a trip to Disneyland for 'what appears to be six of her family members for an 8-night stay' and $729.50 for five tickets - and parking - to an August 2013 Beyonce concert

She continued to receive an $170,000 annual salary even though she was on administrative leave.

A trip to the library

I went to the library this morning to return a book that had been sent by mistake (same title as the one I wanted) and ended up spending a lot of money. It wasn't open yet, so I took a walk around the park for 10 minutes—it was a beautiful day and not cold, plus the land is flat there and doesn’t bother my bursitis.  Then  I went to Giant Eagle to do a little after x-mas shopping (always a shock since I usually buy groceries at Marc’s).  Then on to Macy's to check out some sales. While there I found a "little black dress" and used what was left of my Sept. birthday balance from my daughter. Now I need some place really nice to wear it. Libraries can be very expensive.